HILL REPS session.. for MARATHON RUNNING SUCCESS! Get STRONG! - YouTube - Ben Parkes

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of “HILL REPS session.. for MARATHON RUNNING SUCCESS! Get STRONG!” from Ben Parkes. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points

As a specific form of Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them, hill reps are used to build leg strength and prepare for the downhill‑heavy second half of marathon courses.
Perform 6‑8 uphill repeats of about 60 seconds at a hard effort, then jog easily back down.
Recovery is key: aim to bring your heart rate back to ~140 bpm (Zone 2) before starting the next hill.
After the hill reps, do a 20‑minute steady effort on flat ground at a “comfortably uncomfortable” pace. This sustained tempo block is key for marathon endurance and differs from the race-specific efforts you’d find in a plan for Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance.
Finish with downhill repeats and a 5‑minute easy jog to bring the heart rate down again.
Keep the effort hard on the up‑hill, but focus on recovery between reps, not just heart‑rate spikes.

Workout Example

Warm‑up – 5 min easy jog + dynamic stretches.
Hill Reps – 6‑8 repeats:
- 60 seconds hard uphill (≈ 90‑95% effort). The goal here is a near-maximal effort for strength, which differs from the shorter, faster repetitions you might use when you’re Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time.
- Easy jog back down (recovery until HR ≈ 140 bpm).
20‑minute steady run on flat terrain at ~3:32‑3:40 min/km.
Downhill repeats – similar 60‑second effort on a gentler hill, followed by easy jog back.
Cool‑down – 5 min easy jog to lower HR.

Closing Note

Give this hill‑repeat session a try and adapt the paces to your own fitness using the Pacing app. It’s a solid way to get stronger for marathon hills—go for it and enjoy the gains